FLINT JOURNAL LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Friday, October 04, 2002

Genesee County Treasurer Daniel T. Kildee mischaracterized the Mackinac Center for Public Policy research in "Land bank could pay dividends countywide" [Sept. 8, Page A3]. Our 14 years' worth of published research on corporate tax policy clearly shows our preference for low tax rates across the board, with no special favors for any business. In fact, Mackinac Center research shows that government incentives intended to help businesses often have the opposite effect, and they always discriminate against some businesses in favor of a select few. This is not fair to entrepreneurs or workers, and it's not good economics.

William Durant chose Flint to establish and grow his carriage and then auto business more than a century ago, long before anyone thought government programs should "help" businesses. Flint's most prosperous days happened to coincide with the time that government did little to attract business other than fight crime, maintain streets, run efficient courts and operate safe schools to which workers would want to send their children.